Dreaming
by beachchick4
Summary: Ziva's afraid to open her eyes, so afraid that it was all just a dream . . . one shot from 7x01!


**_Note From Author: Here's another oneshot for the 7x01, Truth Or Consequences. Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please PRETTY please with cherries on top leave me reviews?_**

Ziva slowly began to wake up, yet she kept her eyes closed. She had been having such a nice dream. She hadn't dreamt in months. She had had nightmares, it seemed when she wasn't being tortured by Salim she was being tortured in sleep. It never seemed to end. But this dream, not nightmare, had been so perfect . . .

Tony had been there, right in front of her. Close enough she could almost feel his breath on her face. If she hadn't been bound she could have reached out and touched him. Oh how she missed Tony . . .

And McGee had been there as well! Lying on the floor, aiding in her rescue.

She had been rescued in her dream. Her friends had helped her up and half carried her out of the torture chamber where she had seen Gibbs, Gibbs was going to take them home. Gibbs, the father she had never had, was taking her to the thing she had been so sure she'd never get ... a home.

Ziva refused to open her eyes. She knew that when she did, she would back in her cell, without her family, without rescue, without hope, waiting for the pain . . .

But she was already in pain. Lying there, afraid to move, she realized it was all just a dream and knowing that was too much pain to bare. She would give anything to see Tony's face just one more time, to tell him how sorry she was. And to find out if what he said in her dream was true in real life as well. When would her suffering finally end?

Ziva began to awake even more, it now took effort to keep her eyes shut. She almost wanted to just get it over with, like a band-aid, quick and painless. Only it wouldn't be painless, and her wounds required much more than a band-aid. She began to hear voices, her tortures had returned . . . but wait! They were speaking English. Her captors almost never spoke English.

It was then she became aware of a dull roaring noise that sounded strangely like a plane. She became coherent enough to make out words from the unknown voices, her name was mentioned, as well as NCIS. But these voices spoke with concern, and with love, not with the hate the terrorists had spoke to her with. She realized something was not right.

_Am I going crazy? Dillusional? Perhaps I'm still dreaming?_

She still did not dare open her eyes. She was not stupid, she knew what would happen when she did. She would be back in that dirty hole, dying of thirst, hunger, pain, fear . . .

Then Ziva remembered what happened last time she pretended to be asleep. She had been unable to bear anymore interrogations and faked sleep, they punished her for this, their punishments were horrible. Perhaps even more horrible than opening her eyes.

She heard a voice that sounded so familiar whisper, "Hey, I think she's starting to wake up."

Another voice spoke, "Be quite Dinozzio, let her sleep. This is probably the first time she's slept uninterrupted in months."

And it was, Ziva was always awakened by sounds of gunshots, the interrogations, her pain, her nightmares . . .

Suddenly it registered in Ziva's mind that it was Gibbs and Tony speaking.

_I must still be sleeping._

Then Ziva observed that this was not as sad as her usual dreams, this was much more peaceful. She hadn't felt this sense incredible of safety since she left NCIS. She knew she was not in her cell, so she logically concluded she must still be dreaming. Yet, it did not feel like a dream. She squeezed her eyes tightly, terrified of what would happen if she accidentally opened them.

Her head was beginning to hurt, she knew it was time. Time to open her eyes and embrace the pain. Despite her terror, she cracked her eyes open and squinted at the light. She wasn't used to this light, in the many cells she had been kept in only two of them had had windows. She had spent the majority of the past few months in the dark. She then saw a white wall, not stone and not dirty.

She shut her eyes again, afraid of what she suspected might be the truth. That perhaps she hadn't been dreaming. Perhaps she was finally free. The concept was so foreign to her, she was afraid of it being taken away from her so she kept her eyes shut.

"Potty break, boss." she heard Tony say. Then she felt her head being lifted slightly then placed back down. That's when she realized the comfortbable surface had not been a pillow, but Tony's lap.

Then she heard footsteps approaching her and sit where Tony had been moments ago. The person next to her was silent for a minute before whispering, "Ziver, you awake?"

Ziva whispered back, "Go away, I am dreaming."

"What about?" asked Gibbs.

She sighed and answered, "About being rescued from that hell hole and seeing my real family again. About being on a plane and talking to you."

Gibbs told her softly, "Ziva, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure it's not a dream."

Ziva bit her lip and told him, "Then you must be wrong. As soon as I open my eyes I will be back there, and you won't be coming to save me."

"Actually, I think you're wrong. I swear on my life that when you open your eyes I'll be right here in front of you. I'm not leaving you, not this time."

Ziva's eyes watered, she debated on whether or not she should open her eyes.

"Come on Ziver," Gibbs whispered, "open them up."

She opened her eyes. She sat up. She stared into the caring eyes of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She wiped away her tears as he told her, "Told ya so."

"You did, yes." she nodded.

He handed her his coffee and she frowned at him, "Whatever happened with rule #23, never mess with a marine's coffee?"

"Something tells me you need it more than I do. Besides, after what they put you through you're just as tough as any marine, maybe even tougher."

They heard the toilet flush and knew Tony would be back soon. It was then Ziva saw McGee a few feet away sleeping on a chair.

She smiled sadly at Gibbs and whispered, "Tough isn't the word I'd choose to describe myself these last few months."

Gibbs grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him in the eyes when he said, "Ziva David, you said you thought you were dreaming, right?

"Yes." she answered hesitantly, unsure of where he was going with it.

"Just the fact alone that you can still dream after all of this proves you're one the strongest people I've ever met. Don't doubt that. Ever."

Ziva nodded just as Tony came barging in, waking up McGee.

"Ziva!" the said as they both realized she was awake. Tony's eyes widened when he saw she was taking a sip of Gibb's coffee, but chose not to mention it. He came in and sat on her other side. It was awkward, neither of them knew quite what to say. Tony broke the silence with a joke, "So, did you and McGee have a nice nap? Sweet dreams?"

McGee protested that he wasn't napping, merely resting his eyes for a few minutes. Ziva's face formed a small smile and she looked at Gibbs when she said, "Actually, I had the most perfect dream. The best dream in the world."


End file.
